Page 35 of Mermaid on Heels
“Besides that, it was pleasant. They envy our gowns,” Liriya added, her facial expression switching into amusement and pride for her friend. “They want to know who the seamstress is, so be prepared to answer them,” she singsonged.
Bianca composed herself from the shock and giggled. “And they better prepare to be shocked, because the last person they expect to be the seamstress isme.”
“And I do not think they recognized us.”
“That’s the perk of wearing a mask.”
They reached the second floor where another guard stood, who directed them towards another doorway. Liriya heard excited giggles and the chatter of girls from inside as they approached, mingled with the sound of their heels clicking against the floor, clinking of jewelry, and the soft rustling of silks and satins.
She also heard the music coming from the ballroom and assumed they were closer. If the seduction advice the earl’s wife gave her daughters meant anything, Liriya realized they were the king’s candidates for his future bride.
Excitement and nerves knotted together in her stomach and her heart raced. When Liriya learned that the king would choose six elites from the candidates for his queen, she had thought that the candidates were only Princesses from foreign kingdoms. Moreover, hearing the townspeople gossip about a certainPrincess Aeira of Garbiaand not of their own daughters’ chance, someone who didn’t know how such things worked in the human realm wouldn’t think otherwise.
Expecting the doorway to lead them into another expansive hall, when they entered, Liriya realized it was merely a room—though opulent. Girls around their age standing in line at the center of the room entered her line of sight.
Liriya peered at the front. There stood a table and someone sat behind it. From the sound of it, they were men. She positioned herself at the back of the line with Bianca, wondering what all this was for.
Registering their names perhaps?
A tall girl in front of Liriya turned to look at her and her gown, her eyes widening for a fraction before she turned away and conversed with the girl in front of her. Liriya couldn’t help her pride for her best friend and leaned towards Bianca, who was an inch shorter than her even in her heels, and dropped her voice into the lowest possible volume.
“Did I tell you that the gowns everyone here wear look stuffy, stiffy, and suffocating?”
Bianca smiled a genuine smile and opened her mouth to respond when a few girls entered the room in prideful strides, dragging the attention of the whole room to them.The triplets.Bianca pursed her lips, truly displeased that they were right behind her. Liriya anticipated them to ask Bianca about their gowns and the seamstress, but it never came.
Liriya focused on the conversation at the front, eager to figure out if her assumption about registering names was right, and heard the voice of an assumedly middle-aged man saying, “Ladies, please, take off your masks.”
“Lord Barn, seriously. How many times do you want me to repeat this? The kingisn’tlooking for a pretty face; he admonished the idea of finding abeautifulgirl when you first suggested it, remember?” Another male voice joined from the table, an awfully familiar and younger one. “Besides, true beauty lies inside, in heart, not what’s on display.”
“Ouch,Cedric, what an offense!” one of the girls from the line in the front commented sarcastically, and Liriya almost gasped aloud.
Luke’s brother is here in this room!
“No pun intended, milady. I’m merely looking out for my brother’s happiness; and beauty cannot afford it.”
“Is that a quote from one of your favorite books?” another girl asked from the front. Liriya was sure she was the only one at the back to listen to their talk—thanks to hermer-hearing—or else more comments would have been made at the poor man.
“Wow, are I and my love for books that famous in Lectoria?”
“Why so surprised? Some even think books are your one true love.”
“Certainly. But sincebooksis a plural form, let’s call it thelovesof my life.”
Liriya moved forward with the line as the girls in the front moved out of the room after giving their names. She found herself entertained by Cedric’s occasional wit and bit her lip from giggling at something that wasn’t directed to her.
More and more young girls filed into the room behind them. When Liriya neared the table, she saw the two men with an open book in front of them. One was, as she assumed, a kind-looking old man in regal attire with glasses on his nose. The other was a handsome young man, slightly younger than Luke. His features had a striking contrast to Luke’s dark brown hair, pale skin, and ocean blue eyes. Cedric’s hair was a lighter shade, his skin flushed, and his eyes hazel brown.
When the girl in front of her moved out of the line and Liriya stepped forward, Cedric looked up from his book. “Your name?”
She opened her mouth to answer when Bianca said from behind, “Lady Liriyalda of Pearltuna.”
Cedric raised his eyebrows and they disappeared beneath the wayward lock of his hair that fell over his forehead. He glanced at her past Liriya. “Who?You?”
Liriya stifled a laugh at the genuine confusion on his face.
“No, not me—her,” Bianca replied, her tone laced with amusement.
Cedric’s gaze darted between the two of them before he jerked his chin at Liriya and asked Bianca, “What? Your friend can’t talk?”